Quantum Reiatsu
by Anime Aficionada
Summary: After the demise of Sosuke Aizen, Soul Society has been hit with various strange occurrences. As Edward and Alphonse stumble into the world of the Shinigami, they brace themselves for an adventure that almost remind them of their past. Multiple pairings.
1. Odium

**Okay. This sort of happened when I was having a _bit _too much coffee and reminiscing over Bleach and FMA at the same time. Woohoo.**

_After the demise of Sosuke Aizen and the Arrancar, the Soul Society has been hit with various strange occurrences for the past few months. As Edward and Alphonse stumble into the world of the Shinigami, they brace themselves for an adventure that almost reminds them of the past. Post Winter War; Ed and Al have passed away in Germany, also having never returned to Amestris. Multiple pairings inclusive._

**Disclaimer: **Unless either Tite Kubo or Hiromu Arakawa is a girl in high school who lives in Australia, then I obviously do not own Bleach or FMA. One can only dream, though.

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**PROLOGUE  
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"Karin, get your head out of the gutter, will ya!"

The raven haired teenager whipped around just in time to dodge the ball that was heading towards her direction. She swivelled and kicked the ball with a juxtapositional mixture of violent grace, sending the sphere over to one of her comrades as she did so.

"Sorry," she muttered, the sprinting causing her breath to sound haggard. "I'll be more cautious next time."

A snort was heard beside her, although in her opinion it sounded more like a growl. "You better will be, Kurosaki!"

Karin instantly flinched at her last name.

As far as she could remember, her family name had given her an odd sense of pride whenever she placed a step onto the ground. Isshin Kurosaki, pseudo doctor in the transient world and former captain of one of the Gotei 13 squads of the Sereitei, Soul Society, had been her father. When she had discovered that yet another member of her family was part of the Shinigami fold, she couldn't help but resign a form of hate towards her kin.

Ryohei rolled his eyes as he noticed the subtle change in Karin's demeanour; she was probably thinking about her family again, the flaxen haired male construed. He had become accustomed to the older Kurosaki twin falling into sudden trances and spacing out for vague periods of time. The boy never scrutinised the subject, but ever since he noticed Ichigo's profound absences and the recent change of ties between Karin and her father, he soon realised that something dire had happened to the once crazy yet oddly peaceful family.

Karin's indigo pupils were cast across the sky, brow furrowed in a concerned fashion. Thick, opaque clouds were scattered over the horizon, grey with overcast. "I think we should be ending practise here," she declared, her voice loud but not enough to be considered a yell. "Ryohei, would you mind helping with packing up?"

He nodded with a sigh; the annoyed cries of his two other friends becoming mute to him. Ever since their years in elementary school, "The Outcast Four", as Karin would jokingly name them in the past, had been virtually inseparable friends in and outside of school. Although soccer had brought them together at the start, an unspoken sense of loyalty formed between the three boys and Karin. She had been an odd paradox of a mother, big sister and little sister to the group; but more recently however, Ryohei tried to ignore the feelings of unwanted affection that he had towards the girl.

Shaking his head, the tallest male big farewell to the others, following Karin to where she had her bags kept.

"Kurosaki," he said, trying to catch her attention. When she had turned her face to meet eye contact, the boy softened his eyes a little in a semblance of solace. "You've got to stop thinking about them. At least, try to during soccer and school. You're performance is slackening."

A flicker of rage passed in her pupils before she cussed. "You're not my goddamn counsellor, Ryohei. If you have nothing better than patronising to do, then I suggest you leave me alone."

"I'm only trying to help you. Besides, I'm supposed to escort you home, if you haven't forgotten."

"Oh, it's the only thing that _doesn't _slip my mind," she quipped sarcastically. Her sneakers crunched on the gravel as if trying to channel her irate emotions. "I still don't understand why Goat Chin insists on this, anyway," she groaned, flicking her waist length hair back from flying into her face.

"If you hate him so much than you probably shouldn't heed his words, Karin."

She shot a dark, questioning look before becoming suddenly interested with her shoulder bag. The girl clutched onto the thing tightly, knuckles turning an unhealthy shade of pale white. "I shouldn't, but I have nowhere to go if I get kicked out."

"You know that's a lie. Isshin'd never kick you out, you have Orihime's and Tatsuki's apartment, and you've always got mine, Pinta's, and Donny's place to kick back in." He sighed again, placing his free hand in one of his pockets and readjusting the grip on his bag. "Karin, stop lying to yourself. The more you do, the more you'll get yourself hurt."

"And I still maintain that you're the masochist in our group," she joked dryly, meeting he boy's intense gaze. They walked in silence, only the rustle of the nature around them and their footsteps falling on the rough surface of the road threatening to slice it like a sharp knife. "Look, Ryohei..."

"Don't, Karin," he hushed, effectively grabbing the girl by her shoulders and turning her to face him. She didn't seem fazed by his movement, but looked up at him without guarded contempt. "Idiot, you know we all care for you. You can call us selfish until the rapture occurs, but it's hurting us too when you're acting like this. We're already at your street, so go home and do your homework. We've already had your slacking off in practise today; so don't try to get away with that in schoolwork as well." Ryohei couldn't help but let a small grins overtake his countenance as he spoke the last sentence, chastising.

Karin softened her look. "I'll try," she whispered.

"Good." Ryohei's arms trailed down her frame to meet her waist. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, squeezing her in a hug.

"I'll tell Yuzu you said 'Hello'," she teased, pulling back and walking towards her house. Laughing lightly at Ryohei's disgruntled reaction to her jest towards his possible fondness for her twin, she sidestepped the entrance to her house with an air of nonchalance.

"KAAAARRRRIINNN-CHAAAAN, MY LOVELY DAUGHT- _OOOF!_"

To any other normal person, a father kicking their children as a form of greeting or bonding would have seemed strange, or at least in terms of an act of cruelty. Karin shook her head without glancing at her old man whose face seemed to be implanted on the floor.

Despite what occurred during the past four years of her life, Karin deduced that some things simply wouldn't change in the Kurosaki household.

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**I apologise for the length of the prologue. I promise you though, the chapters to come will be much longer (except for perhaps the first few). So please, stay tuned and I'd appreciate any and all reviews that I receive!**


	2. Obscurity

**I have two things to get off my chest. When the plot of this story and characters were in the making, I honestly did _not_ know Karin's friends actually had names. _ So thank you, Bleach Wiki, for making me look like a complete idiot. ;D In all seriousness however, I have amended my created names (I think I'm actually going to miss Takuma, though ;~;) and you can go research the lovable soccer freaks yourself to prove if I'm right or wrong. I dunno if it was simply me being overly unobservant, plain stupid or having just completely overlooked the matter... but, nevertheless, my second issue shall proceed to be a warning. Due to my watching the dub and sub of both anime, sometimes I may involuntarily toggle between Japanese honorifics and names to what the English dubs have been using. However, I will try to avoid using too many, so not as to confuse anyone. Or at least that is what I'd hope.**

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**CHAPTER ONE**

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Hanataro sighed wearily, watching the sight before him with an air of resignation. Laying semi-consciously over the Fourth Division headquarters were many of the Eleventh Squad's beginner shinigami members, who had – albeit unwillingly – adhered to the aid of Captain Unohana's force, the Fourth Imperial Guard Squad. He had given a stretch out to all his sore muscles, overworked due to the reckless minds sprawled over in his line of sight. The Eleventh Division had always viewed the Fourth as the weakest in overall. Hanataro was only pleased that they had at least compensated with their wisdom, medical aide and knowledge, something that the Eleventh had fundamentally lacked.

"Having a hard time?" He heard a teasing, gruff voice ask, resounding from the futon beside him. "You should at least be a higher ranking officer, Hanataro. I don't think any other fourth seat would work so hard for their captain as you do."

Indeed, the timid healer had shoot up in his squad's positions in the blink of an eye; the Winter War having completely reshaped the Seireitei's view of him. Of course, he had not been a hero of any sort – and continued to be the victim of a many of practical joke in his years – but the actions he displayed and the services he had made to the Soul Society were trials which had failed to go unnoticed.

"You flatter me, Alphonse." Hanataro responded to the blonde haired youth with a smile. The black haired Shinigami had met the younger Elric brother only two years ago at his induction ceremony, forming a quick bond with the remarkably younger man over books and their shared comprehension of sciences, medicine and healing. Despite their short acquaintance of each other, Hanataro had come to grow fairly fond of the optimistic fellow who worked alongside him. "But... Alphonse, I think you should be offering that credit to Kuchiki Rukia," he heartily reserved. "She d-definitely deserves that credit more so than I do. I-In fact, I think she should be a Lieutenant by now!"

Hanataro was met with a chuckle.

"That may be so. Although, I think my notion still will remain." Alphonse took off his gloves easily, disposing them in a small straw-woven bin. He watched Hanataro gaze back at him with a small blush, obviously denying and feeling embarrassment over his praise. "Modesty is certainly a good thing Hanataro, but your definition of it is purely denial," he smirked. "Seriously now, you'd be living on the fanfare if you were my brother."

Eyes widening, Alphonse momentarily negated to remember the basic functions of breathing, almost kicking himself as he watched Hanataro shoot a curious look at him.

"Alphonse! Hanataro!" The men heard Isane call from the hallway, informing them of their midday break.

His knees feeling weak with relief, the more optimistic of the Elric Brothers immediately began to sense that his pulse had seemingly returned. "Come on, we should get going," the blonde rejoined hastily, glad that his superior had inadvertently saved his slip by involuntarily interrupting their conversation.

Casting a quick glance towards his comrade, Hanataro nodded slowly in affirmation, wondering why Alphonse had become so urgent to leave the room.

_He had... a brother?_ was the only thought that ran through his head as they made their way out towards the timber hallways.

* * *

"Awwww, _Captaaaain_." The sickly sweet voice of Rangiku Matsumoto rang through the corridors of the Tenth Division, making every intelligent person cringe at its wake.

Thankfully, the superior of such a woman was grateful that he was, indeed, rather intelligent. He wouldn't have believed in a hundred years – quite literally so – that he could continue to properly deal with the buxom drunkard if he had been part of the less sharper selection of the Gotei Thirteen.

"No, Matsumoto," the child prodigy had exhaled, placing a pale fingertip over his temple, rubbing the tension that immediately initiated to form there. The aftermath of the Winter War provided many exceptional, tell-tale results for the white-haired captain as of late. He was not rightfully referred to as a "child" to any further extent, having grown to a level which now almost rivalled the height of the many other men of the Imperial Guard. He still had received many of a jibe from his associates, although now most had fully come to respect the Shinigami captain of the Tenth; image and all.

"I expected these papers to be finished yesterday," he drawled, placing his free hand over the smooth surface of his office table. "Surely you won't be needing a drink when there's all this work to complete."

His Lieutenant cocked an amused eyebrow as she noticed the faint smirk that tugged at the sides of his lips. "Surely you wouldn't, Captain," she teased, knowing that – after his many threats throughout the years – Tōshirō Hitsugaya would never decrease their supply of sake. After all, their almost constant parties would have ceased to exist without it.

Sharing the same wave of thought, the teal eyed man considered, for a fleeting moment, why he even continued to permit such atrocities of social congruence. He internally groaned, wondering if there ever would be a day where he didn't have to bully his associate into doing his bidding; the man decided to gamble on his bluff, willing it to work for once in his existence.

"I would." Tōshirō's eyes gleamed threateningly, as if with a hidden, yet purely vile intent. "Otherwise I'll assume Isane would have no problem declining your offer to this summer's fireworks festival. Or, I could also easily decrease your pay."

"Aww, but Tōshirō–"

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Matsumoto!" The younger Shinigami growled, quietly unnerved as he watched Rangiku's turn for a smirk. "Finish these by day break tomorrow or by the name of Hyōrinmaru I will hunt you down," he ordered, his tone lowered to a harsh mutter.

"Will do, Captain..." Rangiku responded with a pout, somehow managing to place the stack of files under her shihakusho, over her already grand chest.

Shuddering back a repulsive thought, Tōshirō eyed his Lieutenant with absolute bewilderment. Although it was true that his lesser had finally sought out and actually finished most of her assigned work as of late – something that was near to impossible in the past – he wondered, despite his intelligence and years of knowing the obnoxious woman, why she still continued to baffle him.

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"What in the _CRAP?!!_"

Several heads turned to the voice of the blonde male, some even swearing at the profuse man as he so graciously interrupted their morning's activities.

"Yeah, WELL WHY DON'T _YOU _SUCK ON YOUR _OWN _CABBAGES!" he remarked copiously to the stingy man at the counter, edging along a plethora of shouts that had followed. "Seriously..." he muttered as he made his way through the streets of Rugonkai. Hands drawn to his pockets, he stashed the little profit he had made with his 'manufacturing business', and outwardly sighed. "I give a man more money than he could only dream to earn in a lifetime, and all he gives me in return is a spoilt cabbage. It doesn't surprise me at all that his business failed wherever he came from."

"Is that you, Brother?"

The man halted his strides along the pathway, heart giving an ephemeral heave as he listened to that word offer a heart-wrenching ring in his ears. He regretted the feeling instantly, pushing away his emotions as he reached down to pick up the young girl.

"What is it, Mina?"

The name haunted him, as much as he tried to avoid admitting as such. It was dangerously close to the child that he had met when he was a preteen, the cheerful youth who had deserved to live a damn longer life than she had been ascertained.

"Edward," she cooed, wrapping her small arms around his frame. "You look sad, brother. I don't like it when you're sad."

_Sad._

Little words alike that now seized to provide Edward with such a deeper meaning, affecting him in ways he would have otherwise scoffed at in his formative years. He was only nearing twenty at his death, but to him, personally he felt as if he had lived a whole lot longer.

"I'm fine, Mina. See?" he plastered a smile, hoping the girl would be convinced. "You can stop worrying your mind over me, okay? You don't deserve to do that."

Looking seemingly pleased with his answer, the girl who appeared no more than six years old stared at her pseudo brother, wondering what truly upset him. As a gust of dirty wind flew past their rundown district of Rugonkai, Mina internally pledged, by the name of her real brother, that she would try to help Edward in any form possible. At least this way, she could redeem herself for not being able to supply the same level of help for _him _long ago.

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"Hmm... an unidentified presence of high level reiatsu, huh?"

Matsumoto peered quizzically at her papers, garnering a sense of wonder to the possible recruitment of another Shinigami. She faintly chuckled in reminiscence over the last time she had suggested the life of a death god to one of the less fortunate citizens of the Soul Society. The arrogant and icy boy she had met back then had certainly matured, becoming more of a man with certain childish tendencies as he shot up in ranks to establish his position as Captain.

Laughing light-heartedly despite herself, she had deferred the employment of rookie members so easily until now. She probably wouldn't have been able to handle another boy genius, Rangiku thought with a laugh. However, if it weren't for such a boy genius, she also probably wouldn't have been able to handle the Winter War as well as she had.

Biting back the sigh which had threatened to fall from her lips, the busty lady sauntered over to Rugonkai, the place that bid her so much feelings of nostalgia.

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**Anyone who guesses the Cabbage reference gets a cookie. :3 All in all, thanks for reading and I'll appreciate any reviews that I receive! Constructive criticism is also welcome. :)**


	3. Reflections

**It'd be really nice to receive some more reviews, as I'm admittedly a first timer when it comes to writing both Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist. So any constructive response that I obtain would be greatly appreciated to see myself improve.**

**Yet another semi-pointless Disclaimer: **If I were Tite Kubo, I would have incorporated HitsuKarin somewhere in the Manga by now. If I were Hiromu Arakawa, Edward and Winry would have had children. Same goes with Ichiruki and RoyRiza. Perhaps even AlNoah. Yes indeed, my head _does_ run off on shipping couples. Caffeine and sugar, too, if it counts.

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**CHAPTER TWO**

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"Brother, why won't you let me watch you?"

Edward's eyes peeled away from his sculpture and followed the small corridor which led to a larger room, which in itself was not very large at all. The walls were streaked brown with dirt, weathering slowly due to the poor maintenance of their district. "It's dangerous work in here," he replied, trying to sway his half-truth. "If you want to get hurt so much, then by all means come in."

Knowing the girl would walk into the room, he quickly erased the lines that he had made on the ground.

"Brother! That is so pretty!"

Chuckling despite himself, he watched the blonde haired child pry the small wooden horse from his hands with glee, the awestruck expression lifting every muscle on her petite face.

"Well, it _was _made by the best, you know." He grinned, ruffling Mina's golden locks as she settled herself on his lap.

"Can I keep it Ed? Please!"

The scene feeling all too familiar too him, he sighed. "Go help yourself, Mina," the alchemist offered; his response a tight squeeze and a quick kiss on the cheek. Edward rolled his honey-coloured eyes as the younger girl giggled back at him in bemusement, visibly thrilled by his feigned disgruntled expression. Mina played with the horse for a few minutes, tracing the exquisite detail with her fingertip, as if to etch every minute feature to her memory.

A gale of wind brushed past the two makeshift siblings, offering Edward a form of comfort that this place was not just an awful dream that he had conjured in his head and shakily woken up to. He had wondered why he seemed so comfortable staying with the little girl in his arms. His life was always a semblance of adventure, one after the next as they all turned out to be one masterful plot, almost as if fabricated by a puppet master with invisible strings. Edward was never one to shrug away from ecstasy; the feeling of thrill pumping into his veins each time he had clapped his hands or drew a line onto the ground filled his mind with endless excitement and left none of an adrenaline rush unmet.

His line of thought was interrupted as he felt Mina tug at his torn sleeve. It was one of the finest clothes he could buy in its day during his stay in Germany, but now it had appeared to resemble something of a rag due to its overuse and wearing.

"Brother?" she called, feeling the need to tug again. "I think I heard somebody tap on our door."

Cautious, the man rose, continuing to hold the girl's hand tightly, reassuring him of her presence. Edward cocked a questioning eyebrow at the sudden invitation into his home. He didn't have much of door, so it would have been simple for anyone to barge right through it. It would have taken someone extremely polite to have turned up in such a manner. Mentally noting himself to reinforce the entrance when he had the chance – _or, more so,_ if_ I have the chance_, he thought shrewdly – Edward crept up closer to the door with a shudder, not fully embracing the possible harm that could present itself at any moment.

Rukongai, especially District 80 in which they resided, was not a great place to live in. Gangs were notorious, and any form of danger could arise at any given time. The people here would do anything for survival, and if he had to be honest, Edward wouldn't have blamed them at all.

Even so, he had kept Mina close to him. If anyone deserved to suffer, it definitely was not her.

Edward swung the large plank of wood outwards, bracing himself for any unexpected impact. The wooden door opened to the external light with an annoying and eerie creak, causing Mina to furrow herself nearer to her counterfeit sibling.

"Yes?" Edward murmured in greeting, eyes widening at the woman who entered. He was simply taken aback; of all the types of people he had predicted to step into his abode, a member of the Gotei 13 was perhaps one of the last few suggestions he had in mind.

"Aww, that's not much of a welcome!" The strawberry blonde remarked, curling her long hair around a manicured finger. "Ah, I know why!"

As if the unprecedented arrival wasn't enough, Edward could only stutter to what the buxomly women carried on to do next.

The movement seeming almost natural for her, she lowered and opened out the front of her kimono, revealing her immensely well-endowed figure. "Now, if you come with me, you can see a whole variety of things you've probably only dreamt about before," she winked.

Blood rushed to his ears quicker than he imagined. _Who does this woman think I am?! _He screamed in his head, unable to form a proper audible response. Mina intercepted the two adults, wondering towards the woman.

"You're pretty," she gawked, seemingly unfazed by the older female's antics.

"See, now that's more how I like my greetings," the woman laughed in return, crouching down to the younger girl's level. "So what's your name, little one?"

"It's–"

"Get away from that woman, Mina," Edward now growled, having finally found his voice. "I don't want your innocence tainted by her."

"Eh?! _Tainted?_" Rangiku questioned incredulously.

"But brother–"

"_Now, _Mina."

Complying, the child waddled over to her sibling, a pout adorning her lips. "You can be so mean when you want to be, Edward."

"Ah, so that's your name. Very charming," Matsumoto flattered, hoping to lighten the mood. Rangiku expected a normal rookie, but the young man she had been presented with... she knew already that he would be different. He way he had interacted with the little girl reminded her so much of Tōshirō; it almost seemed ironic. Smiling inwardly, she decided to finish this ordeal as swiftly as possible. After all, some well-earned sake was waiting for her consumption.

Edward felt a mixture of respite and worry pass through him as the woman switched her demeanour, looking more serious as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Edward, then?"

He could only nod at her question.

"You're probably wondering why I'm here. I don't usually do this..." she began, resting her figure on the wall behind her, scratching her head frivolously. "But as a Shinigami member of the Gotei 13, I am afraid I'll have to take you and Mina with me to the Seireitei."

"W-Wait, what?" He sputtered, obviously lost to the turn of events. Why, of all people, would the Shinigami need _him?_

"I'm sure you've heard of the several Hollow occurrences here, recently. But would you know _why _though?" Before he could respond, Edward found the red-head interrupting him, answering his question. "Leaking reiatsu, Edward. You may or may not know this, but substantial levels of it can attract the Hollow. So when there's a source of high reiatsu..."

"There'll be a high rate of Hollow occurrences to follow," Edward concluded, putting two and two together. "But what has this anything to do with me?"

"It's everything to do with you!" Rangiku sighed exasperatedly, willing for this to end already. "_You're _the source of reiatsu, Edward," she clarified, poking a narrow finger towards his chest, "Don't you understand?"

A period of silence encircled all those who were in the room. _Now... this is new, _Edward remarked dryly in his head. "So... you're saying I have caused these Hollows to appear? And how in the hell would I have enough reiatsu to do that, anyway?"

"Truthfully, I wouldn't know. But, as it says here," she informed, lifting the paper into his view, "You apparently do, and I wouldn't question the readings we've received." Matsumoto flipped her ginger hair off from her shoulders, allowing it to freefall onto the small of her back. While he stared at the papers in her free hand, the alchemist was a little mortified, the realisation of the ordeal striking his chest like a wrought mallet as he had several thoughts swirling though his head.

Edward had always viewed himself as a treat to anyone. All those he had faced, he dealt with; all those who insulted him, were victim to his wrath. But as he heard the buxom woman inform him that the several topical deaths were caused by _his _carelessness, the only feeling which consumed him was remorse.

The people of Rugonkai had a heard enough life as it were. He had watched the Hollows devour them with an admittedly shameful bout of fear as of late, resolving to run away and not fight. Edward knew his limits. It was their battle – not his; besides, who would protect Mina? He had to flee with her, keeping her away from harm at any cost.

Or at least, that's what he had been liberally telling himself.

Now that he had been granted the opportunity to change those circumstances, it was appealing to say the least to think about the better. Mina needed his protection, and he needed the power to provide that for her. Needless to say, Edward found the idea of crushing the Hollows with his brute strength extremely enthralling.

Steeling himself as he picked Mina up with little words of warning – earning a startled shriek in response – Edward walked up to the Shinigami, grabbing her hastily by the shoulder. The death god responded with an inward smile, undeterred by his sudden movement. Realising that the man in front of her had made his decision, she escorted him outside of his door, knowing that her job was complete.

The life of a Shinigami had intrigued Edward, not incredibly so as to inspire him to strive to become one, but his newly found interest caused the man to resolve not to fend away from danger as he used to. What had caused him to do so made him cringe; as a younger being he would have jumped to the chance, regardless of whoever he had to protect. Perhaps the added years to his age might have boded a sort of fatherly traits upon him – but did that make him wise, or a mere coward? Shaking his head to clear the muddled thoughts drifting through his mind, he realised that he simply didn't know anymore. The border between right and wrong, good and bad, were once narrowly divided until through his adventures it had none but become a perplexed blur.

The unsynchronized orchestra of his thoughts played a song of sorts though Edward's mind, falling into a deep crescendo as a cacophony of possibilities and outcomes presented themselves before him in his head. As his view of Rugonkai was obscured by the dirty wind which infamously passed through its districts, Edward couldn't help but let out a sadistically euphoric grin.

Balling up a fist in righteous assumption and anticipation of the events to come, Edward laughed inwardly, feeling somewhat like a madman; the all-too-reminiscent feeling of ecstasy had returned.

* * *

"Hey, Yuzu, did you finish the quadratics unit that we had yesterday for homework?"

Shaking her head wearily, the blonde haired Kurosaki twin cried, placing her palms on her cheeks in a dramatic fashion. "Oh Karin! You know I'm not good with Maths like this. You're so much better than I am. I wish you could come home earlier to help me."

Of course, Yuzu had never meant to state an insult or cause any form of sorrow; it was merely an innocent cry for help. Nevertheless, the raven haired twin couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt pass through her, making her reply solemnly. "I can go through it with you now, if it's okay," Karin stated with a grin, taking her regular spot beside her other half.

"Of course!" Yuzu chirped, jumping off from her chair to squeeze her sister in a hug.

Karin patted the girl on her forearm awkwardly. "Can't show you if you're crushing me like this, Yuz," she chuckled, prying herself away from her sister. They dragged their tables together; with Karin thrashing her books onto the surface while Yuzu in her delicate grace subtly placed her texts with the most minute of sounds.

"I'm glad," Karin stated. "If it weren't for maths, science or soccer, you'd outshine me at anything."

"That's not true!" Yuzu denied, visibly voicing the disagreement which shimmered through her chestnut eyes.

"Is to."

"Not."

"Is to."

"Is not."

"Is to–"

"Is not and that's final," Yuzu replied, gentle but firm.

As she envisioned her late sister crossing her dainty arms over her developed chest, with the unyielding expression plastering all over her face, Karin sighed at the small memory, shakily smoothing down the already level table surface as she suppressed a shudder. This was where Yuzu's place should have been. Not in the godforsaken_ haven_ known as the Soul Society.

Slamming exercise books onto her desk, she scoffed.

Haven was such a loose term. Who was it a sanctuary to? Yuzu? Her mother?

She knew she was being selfish; she _wanted _her other half. Yuzu deserved to be _here, _living. Cherishing the life she was supposed to have. The life that Karin still kept. The chestnut beauty was at merit to achieve her goal as a chef, have children with that ginger twerp of a boyfriend (although initially Karin would have otherwise _strongly _rebuffed the notion to her chagrin), and watch her little creations make even more little creations.

Karin chuckled, mirthlessly so, at the idea.

The idiot, as she had reduced her brother to, wouldn't tell her anything about his life as a Shinigami. The idiot's girlfriend – or in Karin's mind at least – would only tell her the whereabouts of her sister after she "passed on". Goat Chin shrugged off the discussion as if it were a flea, assuring her that the beings known as Shinigami surely didn't exist. Karin, apparently, was making them up. And the Soul Society, apparently, was also classified information to her fellow measly humans.

Growling, the high school freshman took her seat, watching the class file in like a group of ants.

Ants, Karin considered, were bugs.

Bugs to the damn all-mighty Soul Society.

* * *

Tōshirō was met with surprise as he watched his Lieutenant saunter into his office, a man and his child in tow. Quirking an eyebrow, he Shinigami refrained from jumping to any conclusions as he asked to make one thing certain:

"Matsumoto, I strongly pray you haven't even a drop of sake in your blood at the moment," he deadpanned, turning back to his work and signing off one of the last papers in his pile.

Rangiku immediately straightened, grinning triumphantly to show she had accomplished not one but two miraculous undertakings. "Captain! I haven't seen a bottle since yesterday night," she claimed, proudly shoving Edward and Mina further into the room. "And look what I have here."

Placing his brush down, Tōshirō cautiously inspected the three individuals who graced him with their presence. Matsumoto didn't _seem _under the influence, although one could never be too sure about her. The woman was a piece of fine work, the captain analysed with an almost inconceivable quiver. He examined the man with a more guarded eye, trailing down to the girl who clutched on to him like a lifeline.

Flaxen hair fixed into a messy plait, the male seemed to be slightly enthusiastic upon arrival, but kept himself in check all the same. Tōshirō didn't spare a second glace to waste on scrutinising the little girl which stuck to the taller blonde with an invisible glue.

"And you two may be?" the captain inquired, rising to his full height as he walked up to the small congregation.

"I'm Mina!" piped up the petite girl, garnering a cautioning gaze from her assumed father. As if to prove Tōshirō's unspoken thoughts wrong, she tugged at the lad next to her, perceptibly swelling up with a sense of pride. "And this is my Big Brother!" she cheered.

Rectifying Mina's introduction, "Edward," the man spoke more cagily, summiting with the white haired captain's teal eyes.

Mina stood up on her tippy toes, as if to meet the captain and his lesser's stature. "You and Big Booby have pretty eyes," Mina said truthfully, artlessly unaware of the quick comparison which was made in the boy genius's head.

_Kusajishi and this girl would become accomplices in an instant_, Tōshirō surmised with an internal shudder. "I see." He shot a glance to Matsumoto, as if telling her to state their presence.

Correctly reading his expression, Rangiku assured. "As per the forms from Captain Kurotsuchi, there have definitely been sightings of several Hollow along District 80."

Tōshirō gave a slight nod in understanding. "And I'm correct to assume these two are the cause of them?"

"No, only I am," Edward uttered without jollity. "Mina's with me," he insisted with an air of possession and defence. "She has nowhere else to stay."

Exchanging a brief glance, the Shinigami of the Tenth both had a silent discussion. Edward suddenly felt odd, watching the two speak with their eyes, as if it were habit. Mina on the other hand, had continued to believe the Shinigami were beautiful individuals, internally vowing to become just as stunning as them.

Tōshirō nodded in mutual assent with Matsumoto; the short-lived seconds furiously deepening in sound as the beating in Edward's chest seemed to lessen the already quiet hum of the room. The decision that the Shinigami made would either make or break him. Disconcerting at large the latter was to be; the blonde alchemist fretted at the thought of returning to the dishevelment of Rugonkai. He was equally disconcerted at how he became so seriously worried over ever returning to that place. After all, his absence had totalled to an hour at most.

"Edward," the former military lapdog straightened in previous and almost automatic fashion, chin titled high and a determined expression failing to betray his face as he heard his name called to him. "You are to be escorted by Matsumoto to the Twelfth Guard Squad barracks until further notice. What happens to you will be ultimately decided there."

Edward wasn't sure if relief or further anticipation fluttered through him as the white-haired Captain informed him of his circumstances. Mina and Matsumoto in thick discussion as the strawberry death god ushered them out of the room, Edward acquiesced to shake his head.

Waiting perhaps would never be his forte.

* * *

Daddy said I was precious. Someone whom everyone could love.

He made me into one of them. A chimera. He told me Mummy became one as well. Daddy loved Mummy as much as he did me. Does that mean that chimeras were also things that everyone could love too?

I cry when I think about Alexander. Why did Daddy have to join us two together? He doesn't like sharing bodies. It hurts him to walk. He wants to run.

Alex takes off, with an agonising howl, dragging me along with him. I don't tell him to stop. We both don't like anything anymore. Nothing we do now can ever change the past. It'll just bring us even more pain.

It's blinding when I see the door open up to us. It's cold here. Alex whimpers and I shiver at the same time. There's this scary person in front of us, looking bored and mean. It has a bad look, watching us as if we're some sort of pest to him. Alex moves us back, in two tiny steps, knees buckling under the scary person's stare.

One after the other, eyeballs, arms, legs, and other body parts come out from that dark door. I scream as the noise from the shadowy thing reaches my ears loudly, making every other sense mute. I look around to try and make sense of things. Alex howls, trying to push us back as every second pulls us closer forward towards the black that makes that door.

I wonder if Daddy wanted this to happen to me.

I wonder if Mummy went through the same thing.

Is this how true love really feels?

**

* * *

**

**Seems as if I got this out earlier than I had initially thought. As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'd appreciate any received response. Also, to the **random person reading this **you were absolutely correct! -hands over promised cookie- I hope you, too, continue reading this, even perhaps in your own random manner, and to everyone I say: ****Stay tuned!**


	4. The Heart

**I can't express how sorry I am, everyone. Personally, right now isn't the best time for me emotionally, and it has sort of been a task and a form of release for me to write at the moment. I'm so sorry for how much his chapter is lacking; currently school and dance and my social life has been consuming my time and sanity, more so then usual, as of late, so I apologise dearly for taking so long to get this out, albeit the crappiness of the work. ****Also, as you may or may not have noticed, I have finally somewhat crawled out of my half-arsed demeanour and placed some new, fairly nifty chapter titles. **

**One thing I want to express is that this story will be put on hiatus until the middle of the year; perhaps if I get the time, then I will surely update. But with things going the way they are now, I just really need time for myself to have a break from everything, and of course I can't really get away from school as much as I want to – so what I can do now is (to my dismay) discontinue writing for a while. However, during this period, I will try to revise my work, as I'm not very pleased with it, and when I come back I'll hopefully will return with much better quality fiction.**

**Onwards.**

* * *

His surroundings blurred around him as he fled across the streets into the wilderness. His heart felt heavy, breath caught in his throat as he stumbled over onto the uneven ground. The boy with the appearance of a teenager backed away, from the strange images in his mind, until in due course he felt his spine nudge into the bark behind him, the rough surface serving a reminder of the now sensitive state of his skin. A shaky hand found its way through his thick dark hair, grasping the roots as if a thread.

Where was he?

Why was he here?

His head throbbed, trying to listen for movement. He only winced at the responses given to him. _Damn it. _He cursed, wishing the pounding in his skull to ebb. _Still so sensitive, _he hissed. _I was never... these _emotions...

A shrill cry of pain tore through him as he felt the nauseating ache creep out from his wounds over his chest and neck, his emerald eyes boring into the depths of the creases of his palm. They stung, trying to fight away the horrid salty water which prickled his eyes and threatened to pour out. Beneath the sounds of the boondocks and the burn which coursed around his body, he couldn't help but remember her.

That woman.

The orange-haired _human._

Her image fluttered through his vision, ginger hair flowing delicately in the wind, mirroring the same tenderness which danced in her smile.

She tried to tell him something, that former piece of _trash _tried to tell him something.

It took some time, confusing at best, but eventually he had realisation.

She wasn't _truly _trash. After all...

_What her outstretched hand embodied was..._

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE – THE HEART**

* * *

The Karakura High School stood somewhat regally at the end of Karakura Town, basking in the early glow radiating from the sun. With a groan to their step, the numerous teenagers who attended the school filed into their classrooms, rubbing their eyes at the ungodly hour.

"Settle down, class," the teacher greeted, walking in with a simple smile plastered across her face. She settled her pile of texts onto her table, shaking her head after scanning the unanimated room; apparently, expecting punctuality before eight forty five in the morning proved to be much too big of a task for the brooding adolescents, having half of the class walk in with unkempt uniforms and messily combed through hair.

As if an unspoken order, the students all rose up at their teacher's arrival, standing quietly as they waited for the woman at the front scope to signal them down again. "Now students, as you all know, I am your homeroom teacher of 1-3, Ms Ochi. Anyone who does not have that number on their timetable is asked to leave immediately to the office or towards their designated classroom."

At this, two students groggily bent over, slinging their bags over their shoulders in an unceremonious haste, and walked in the general direction of what their timetables were insisting them to, bidding Ms Ochi inclinations of their heads as a goodbye. _Hopefully those kids won't get lost again too soon_, the woman thought, watching the couple of boys with a sigh. A slow realisation struck her as her attention directed back towards her remaining students, sweatdropping slightly as she heard a collective moan of pain.

"Ah! Where were my manners? Good morning class and welcome to your first year of high school," she spoke quickly, an apologetic look marring her features as she realised her students had been standing much longer than required. "As I have already informed you of my name, I won't be bothering with any further introductions. You may all sit down now."

As she seated herself back down on her chair, Karin observed with dry bemusement at how lax her first high school teacher seemed to be. Ms Ochi proceeded to list the school rules in a rush, not bothering to thoroughly delve into the consequences if for any circumstance they were not followed. Her slightly high pitched drawl filled the room with a sort of calming charisma, finishing off with the morning role as the responses of presence resounded from the students.

"Kurosaki?" Ms Ochi called, snapping the soccer player out from her musings. The confusion was apparent in her teacher's tone and visage, obviously bringing home to the black haired girl that Ms Ochi had most probably taught_ that_ Idiot before.

"I'm here," she replied with what she hoped was a monotonous drawl, eyes sliding to watch the opaque clouds which dotted the sky.

"Are you by any chance related to Ichigo?"

Karin's attention was quickly diverted back to her teacher, her onyx hair swishing delicately as she did so. "I wish I weren't," she softly grunted, giving a slow roll of her eyes to meet Ms. Ochi's questioning gaze.

Ms Ochi shared a sympathetic look, chuckling. "You scowl the same way he does, Karin. How adorable."

The class amusedly watched the girl fight the will to growl. "I resent that." Karin settled for a mutter, fixing whoever dared to laugh with an impressive glare.

Ryohei, only seated right beside the athletic girl, shook his head dismally. "I see you show no signs of change," he smirked, placating her with a grin. The roll continued to be marked, falling quiet to the ears of the two friends as they carried their banter.

Karin gave a perceptible flinch as the boy beside her spoke. _He's different now... _Karin reminded herself, trying to loosen her fists which had instinctively curled at his voice. Uttering a response with the same abysmal tone she had always used with him, she replied. "Neither do you, Ryohei. The only difference now is that you actually looked cute ten years ago."

"Ah, so you _do _think I'm cute."

Karin couldn't help but suppress a shudder; _Damn it. _She still sounded shaky.

"You failed to notice my past tense," she barely made out, coughing at the end as if to mask her strain.

Ryohei pointed a finger at her general direction, as if to make a firm point. "But you _still_ thought I was cute at one point of time. There's still hope for me," the partial blonde grinned; one that for once didn't reach his eyes. _Is she... ill? _He thought with a hint of concern.

Karin pointedly ignored the latter half of the statement from her slightly perverted companion, responding with his formal name as a nature of jest. "You sounded so much better in silence, Mr. Toba." She shook her head jadedly, chuckling soundlessly to herself. _He's not that type of person... _She brought her head down, contemplative. How she even managed to befriend him and the others for such a long period of time was forever beyond her comprehension, although she chose it best not to question their friendship._ It wasn't his fault..._

_It's... nobody's fault._

"I agree," Ms Ochi swiftly intercepted; causing Karin to be thankful for interrupting their conversation, only to take back her gratification as her teacher's innocent smile lifted into what seemed a smirk. "Now if the two of you are done with your flirting, I have a class to teach."

With that, she turned on her heels to write the proceedings of the day onto the white slab of board in front of her. Neither of the students considered it wise to retort, although both were visibly disgruntled. Karin's scowl in some way deepened, her indigo eyes appearing onyx as she maintained her dark, angered look. Fighting off the quickly approaching blush, Ryohei chose to look anywhere but Karin, seeming to look highly interested with the scrawl that was written inconceivably quickly onto the panel holstered at the room's frontage. Deliberating that he had better to find ways of alleviating his feelings towards the ebony haired girl, he felt as if the noise seemed to accumulate in the room, rising and building up in his ears as if to taunt him.

"Dammit Kurosaki," he scoffed underneath his breath. "You always establish the means to my strife."

And, unbeknownst to him, Karin was thinking in reverse the very same thing.

* * *

"Roy!"

Riza shouted irately to her husband, clearly angered by his absence as of late. The darn man had left her to do all the housework, reminding her of her service under the military; how the same accursed man treated her in such the equivalent manner back then with paperwork as now with chores. Recently the pair had fallen into a pattern of quaint formality and informality – as was to be expected of an odd married couple of the armed forces. _"Old habits die hard,"_ Riza would retort, casually, defending herself in previous attempts as she refused to familiarise herself with her Colonel, even after the ironical fact of their betrothal.

True to her word, she had never called him once by his given name unless her anger saw it fit.

Which, much to his chagrin, Mustang noticed as he walked into the room. Trying to assuage the felling of dread which filled him as he entered, the man took off his coat offhandedly, as if to show that he had not been deterred by his wife's rage. "Yes, Riza?" he exhaled slowly.

"Yes? YES? Is that really all you could answer with?!" was the heated response. "Do you know what these are, Roy?" The blonde haired woman held up a pile of shirts, ridden with dirt, stains and other ruins which she preferred not to think about. "They're your shirts that you assured you'd clean this morning! And look at you now; you're filthy!"

Indeed, the man before her shrugged dismissively as if he had no care as to how his clothes managed to get dirty or not. As a former member of the military, there were far worse conditions he was placed in and quite frankly a soiled shirt could most likely have been the least of his problems.

"Go to sleep, Riza."

The woman stopped to blink her visibly puffy-red eyes, momentarily wondering if her ears were functioning correctly. A mild mix of rage and bafflement coursed through her entire body. The frayed hem of her blouse fluttered slightly in the soft gale that passed between them, offering a calming sensation before she found Mustang walk towards her, pulling her into an embrace.

"Colonel..."

She let out a soft shudder of a sigh as she felt his arms wrap around her comfortingly, his hot breath tickling the hairs at the back of her neck. Riza was a woman of control, naturally feeling ashamed whenever even a trickle of vulnerability escaped her. But, as his lips were brought to touch her temple, bathed in the faint sunlight which streamed into the room from an open carving of a window – showering them in what she could only describe as rays of bliss – she instinctively knew that this was right.

Prying the hands of her husband away from her waist, Riza twisted around to look him in the eye, the brief lapse of her psyche forgotten and her serious demeanour seeming to have returned. "You're a cruel man, Mustang," she spoke, crossing her arms over her chest. Of course, she hadn't meant it; but using a cheesy trick like that to tweak her more susceptible side as an excuse to get out of house duty was intolerable.

He smirked in response.

"Indeed that I am," grinned Roy.

She ignored the urge to roll her eyes. "Haven't the faintest as to know who exactly rubbed off who, but I swear you sound more like Edward by every passing moment, Mustang."

Roy stiffened slightly at his lesser's name, finally beginning to realise the cause of his wife's irritable behaviour. Hawkeye could have sworn she saw her husband's ebony gaze soften on her, lingering there for a few fleeting moments before breaking away. "We will find them, Riza," he reassured, almost as if a pledge to himself, hoping his words wouldn't fall short on his wife's ears.

Mustang was barely an optimist most of the time, and Riza knew all too well of his ability to easily find the realism of a situation. She also was thoroughly aware that, if he ever had his sights and heart set completely onto a sole task, nothing could ever deter her Colonel away from fulfilling it.

The crimson eyed woman was indeed reassured, that deep down, regardless all their doubts and their relentless efforts put into finding the Elric Brothers, the two boys who felt almost as if like their sons would be reunited with the wedded couple soon.

* * *

"Captain?"

Tōshirō found it odd for his Lieutenant's voice to be devoid of any sugary tones, pure inquisitiveness screening through as the ginger-haired Shinigami lifted up her beautiful face to meet her superior's own.

"What do you think Mayuri would do with him?" she asked, sipping thoughtfully on her 'hard-earned' bottle of sake.

The white haired death god considered the odds as he fiddled absentmindedly with his brush, lost very much so in thought.

The man who presented himself to him earlier had a substantial amount of spiritual pressure, making it no joke as to the reasoning behind several Hollow sightings alongside Rugonkai. What truly intrigued him however, were _why _there were Hollows in Soul Society in the first place. He was meticulously conscious of the Twelfth Captain's barracks being responsible for any Hollow activity, as they had kept some in restraint themselves for god knows whatever reason which their Captain so flippantly shrugged off as to being "scientifically sound".

With a tentative pause, his gaze flickered over to the door which led outside from his office. "Chances are: Mayuri manages to stick a syringe into him," he answered without peeling away his eyes from the distance, continuing to numbly swindle his brush between his narrow, pointed fingers. "Or he could be sent off to the Academy."

Eyes narrowing into piercing slits, Rangiku went to chastising the man who she still playfully considered a child, considering his response to be sarcastic.

"Be serious, Tōshirō."

Her Captain whipped his head around and pinned her gaze in an instant, retorting with a sharp glower.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Matsumoto!" he barked, praying that one day everyone could remember to _always _call him by his proper title. It was so simple, yet everyone went to the trouble of annoying him with failing to do as such!

As he regained his composure, Tōshirō fixed his gaze towards the door again where Edward and his makeshift sister had once stood, wondering what the sick head of the Twelfth Division was doing to the pitiable man at the very moment.

"In my opinion, it'd be interesting to see what becomes of Edward," he responded, more to voice his thoughts rather than answer his subordinate's previous question. "With that level of reiatsu, who knows what he'll be able to do?"

Nodding at the response, Matsumoto turned to deplete the bottle, her specially sweetened drink feeling strangely dry upon her tongue. As she contemplated the possible scenarios of the man who she had dropped off into the Twelfth Guard Squad, she had felt a wave of dread fall upon her shoulders.

The very sole fact that she had intentionally refrained from informing her captain about, was one which made her feel as if she were making a monument of a mistake. All he did was sketch a form of circles on the ground and pass some variant of Kidō through it. She wasn't a master of that certain area, but she wasn't insufficient either. So what if he knew Kidō prior to his training? It was supposed to be a good thing, right?

Personally, come what may to the Lieutenant of the Fifth, something told her that it undeniably wasn't.

* * *

"Ah, so _you _are the little cretin who managed to crawl through our cracks, I take it?"

Edward suppressed the urge to explode at the ghastly man before him. Despite all the gruesome and utterly repulsive things he had seen in his life, the sight of Mayuri Kurosutchi was one which nauseated him to no doubt. Even so, after his passing in the real world, he had at least expected others to respect his height; or, in the collective opinion of most others, the lack thereof. Several heads swerved and odd stares were shared as the members of the squad worked in their separate stations with a feeling of worry, bracing themselves a little at the flare of reiatsu produced.

"My, my. No need to be so brash. My subordinate division wasn't lying, though it seems. Your reiatsu leaves nothing to be desired," Mayuri paused, nodding approvingly at the young man's unintentional display, considering that this boy would make for a fine specimen. "However I shouldn't be surprised. Our technology is superior, after all." He cracked one eye open to read the files in his hand's grasp, flicking through the pages as if they held no significance. "Hmm..."

"What is it?" Edward frowned at the captain's morbidly nonchalant behaviour, watching him carefully as Mayuri stared back at him from behind one of the many computers which were situated within the Twelfth Division. Abruptly, as if he had naught of a care in the world, the blue haired man craned his neck at an odd angle, the shadows of the room obscuring a portion of his face in darkness.

"Oh?" He craned his neck back to lean his head forward, scanning the screen in front of him while his hands tapped on the piano-like keyboard in a blur. "Ah, yes. It says here... you've been performing some odd... tasks. Those which would require flares of reiatsu, yes?"

Mayuri raised an amused eyebrow as Edward seemed to look at him, an internal battle of emotions playing across the blonde alchemist's features. Should he tell him about Alchemy? After all, what he negated to tell the higher-ups may very well lead him to not gain a position in the Gotei Thirteen, right? He sighed. When did he become so frenetic all of a sudden? Wasn't he faring well enough in Rukongai?

Ah, that's right. All the deaths that he had caused. His carelessness. The very same carelessness that he could carry on to show, though consciously this time, if he continued living there.

"Alchemy," the former military lapdog proclaimed, effectively breaking the silence which quickly enveloped the room, in a tone large enough for the Captain to hear, but restrained for only the listening range of the two men who occupied it. "To obtain, something of equal value must be lost," he explained, his voice sounding as if it were faraway; nostalgic. "That is its First Law of Equivalent Exchange."

Edward, who had stood idly until now, paced across the room and took his place behind Mayuri, kneeling down on to the cleaned floor. His nostrils twinged a little at the detergent-like smell which filled the air, his hands reaching into his threadbare shirt pocket and pulling out a piece of chalk.

"Interesting..." Mayuri mused, scratching his chin with his longest, pointed nail. "This art has been long extinct. I'm rather fascinated as to how you managed to learn it, cretin."

With a grin, Edward ignored his newly-formed nickname, finishing off the final outline of the chalked figure on the floor, dusting away the white substance which sullied his hands. "Where I came from, Alchemy was large enough for a Military branch to employ it, although it has grown out of fashion elsewhere..." he trailed off in afterthought, reminiscing over his time spent in Munich. "At first, I couldn't get it to work even in the Soul Society," he admitted, preparing to bring his hands together. Echoing the clap which resounded from his palms, the room looked eerie as Edward focused on the diagram at his feet. "See those pieces of broken glass I had placed in the centre?" He gestured towards the fixed bottle. "As you'd most likely know, in the living world, that would have contained roughly seventy-two percent silicon oxide, thirteen percent sodium oxide, eleven percent calcium oxide, five-and-a-half percent magnesium oxide, and a remainder of at least ten minor trace elements in molar percentages."

Mayuri nodded in understanding; glass composition was simple theory to him.

"Over here, though, spirit particles are different, however act and react in very much the same way. It took a while, but after good years spent learning how to master it, I was able to use Alchemy by manipulating the reishi of the substance similarly to the method used in Amestris."

"Amestris?" The Captain inquired, not too fazed over the fact of alchemic renewal, but rather searching his memory bank to find the place which Edward had last mentioned. He was faintly impressed by the young blonde; there weren't enough men who were scientifically competent in the Soul Society. After all, most were merely just impetuous fools who only functioned when immense bouts of adrenaline rushes occurred.

Edward was so caught up in his explanation that he had barely found the time to catch himself. "It's... where I came from," he answered simply, wishing to never bring up the topic again. "So as I was saying—"

"Amestris..." Mayuri interrupted, whispering to himself as he yet again perched himself onto his computer. Much to Edward's chagrin, the blue haired captain proceeded to type the name into his mainframe, clicking on the piano-like keys until he finally cried out in irritation.

"What is it?" Edward couldn't help but ask; a shred of hope giving him sense to believe that of all the places in the universe, perhaps even Mayuri's seemingly impressive database wouldn't have information of his birthplace; after all, all his memories of there only served great pain to brood over nowadays. From the back of his mind, the cheerful face of his brother resurfaced, only to be banished again as he took a step forward to look more clearly at the large screen in front of him.

"I hope you weren't lying to me, cretin," Mayuri grumbled. The continual, frantic clatter of his fingers on the keyboard filled the room, the soft hum of the computer buzzing around and echoing off the surfaces which occupied it. "But this Amestris you speak of... doesn't quite seem to exist. Whereabouts is it? If you can so enlighten me."

The captain snorted; a sign of derision which he felt more than justified to carry out as he saw Edward make no move to respond. "I see..." The man motioned Edward to follow him as he walked out of his barracks, not turning back to check if the blonde male had trailed his lead. Honestly, he couldn't care any less. New recruits were always such a hassle, though...

An alchemist was very hard to come by these days; they had completely vanished in the human world, and it was only myth for it to subsist elsewhere. However, Amestris did sound awfully familiar to him. Perhaps keeping this young boy at arm's length would do some great good for him; another lab rat would be wonderful, in any case.

Noticing the sadistic grin quirking the edges of Mayuri's lips, Edward shuddered slightly as he felt the captain in front of him turn, what could only be described as a maniacally euphoric expression flooding the pale skinned face. The darkness of the hallway only accentuated the ghostly atmosphere.

"Edward, I'm very, very interested in you." Mayuri dipped his head forward, gold irises meeting gold. The logical side of Edward's brain told him to slap away the elongated, pointed fingernail which was brought to his chin, stroking it both endearingly and dissonantly. That, or simply punch him in the face. But the other half of his brain failed to let him respond altogether, stilling him as he stood there with a semblance of fear swelling inside him. "Now, as such, the only use you'll have to me, is that bank of knowledge of yours."

_Well, duh. _"But don't you have enough as it is?" Edward quipped sarcastically.

"Ha!" Mayuri cackled, "As a fellow scientist, you should know you can never have enough information!" His hand retracted into his large lab coat, fumbling slightly with the many syringes held within it. "Ah, now..." Mayuri chose to ignore the soft sigh of relief which escaped Edward's lips, taking out the solution ne needed.

"To expand that bank, I'll assign you to the human world, Edward. In one month you will become a Shinigami of sorts. I will send three ranking officers to train you, but otherwise you are given no further assistance."

Edward blinked as he felt himself going faint. Everything blurred around him as sounds meshed together and all colours faded to pure black. Darkness.

Pulling out the needle which Mayuri so unfeelingly punctured in the young man's body, he called to one of his subordinates and haphazardly tossed the syringe to her, not caring if any residual substance hit her or not.

"Nemu!" Mayuri ordered, walking back into the refines of his office. "Carry that pet and send him off to the Tenth Guard. We have some work for him."

Nodding an affirmative, the black haired woman carried Edward towards said area in a smooth shunpo, cautious not to wake the unconscious alchemist. She cast her jade gaze down towards the bobbing blonde head in her arms, emotions rising in her despite the blank expression which she wore across her petite features. _Oh, Captain Mayuri... what are you planning to do with his boy?_

* * *

**And that's where I'll finish it. I thought, despite having a lacklustre chapter, you viewers deserved to read at least what I had insofar. Again, I apologise for being so shoddy about this, and I can only hope that in due time I'll be able to once again update this.**

**So for now, take care everyone, and I'll see you soon.**

**Love** ~ Anime Aficionada

**Also, for all fellow Australians, or New Zealanders, or just about anyone who pays their respects to the diggers who lay down their lives for our peace in WW1,** I'll finally ask all readers to spare a few moments to think about those who dearly departed in that fateful event, and end with one last tribute before any of you see me here again.

**Lest We Forget.**


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